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Great Baddow pub history index
The Kings Head is one of the oldest pubs in the Chelmsford/ Great Baddow area, possibly the oldest still trading public house. It dates back to 1615 when it was previously called The Naked Boy. It changed its name to the Kings Head around 1760. It was often used as a stopping- off place for coaches on the main London to Maldon Road.
At the turn of the 20th Century it was used as the meeting
point and practice venue for the Great Baddow Brass Band. During the 1920's
it was the Baddow Brewery and was a popular place for travellers to stop or
meet en route for day trips to Maldon or Southend from Chelmsford.
During the Second World War the King’s Head was an ARP base (Air Raid
Precautions)
The pub used to have a bedroom for travellers which was called “the Crippens”
and was rumoured to be haunted. *
Directory of Pubs in the UK, historical public houses, Taverns, Inns, Beer Houses and Hotels in Essex.
King's Head, Maldon Road, Great Baddow
Kings Head, Maldon Road, Great Baddow
15th November 2002
Residents at this address
1828-9/Charles Field/../../../Pigot's
1832-3/Charles Field/../../../Pigot's
From 1838 to 1883 the publican of the Kings Head was James Patten. He stood
behind the bar for over 45 years and was an outstanding local character
noted for his “No Nonsense” approach to business. He was also a builder and
developed some of the outhouses that lay adjacent to the pub. *
1839/James Patten/../../../Pigot's
1845/James Patten/../../../Post Office
1848/James Patten/../../../White's
1851/James Patten/Carpenter/../../Post Office
1851/James Patten/innkeeper and builder (employing 5 men)/44/Danbury,
Essex/Census **
1851/Hannah Patten/wife/40/Broomfield, Essex/Census
1851/Clara E Patten/daughter, scholar/12/Great Baddow, Essex/Census
1851/James George Patten/son, scholar/10/Great Baddow, Essex/Census
1851/Martha Poulten Smith/niece, dressmaker/18/Great Baddow, Essex/Census
1851/John Clark/lodger, bricklayer/22/Witham, Essex/Census
1851/Jane Harris/visitor, widow, independent/58/Leytonstone, Essex/Census
1855/J. Patten/../../../Kelly's*
1862/James Patten/Bricklayer/../../Post Office
1867/James Patten/Bricklayer/../../Post Office
1870/James Patten/Bricklayer/../../Kelly's
1871/James Patten/Bricklayer/../../Post Office
1871/James Patten/Builder & Publican employing 6 men/64/Danbury,
Essex/Census
1871/Hannah Patten/Wife/60/Bromfield, Essex/Census
1871/Sidney Holbrow/Grandson/3/Rayleigh, Essex/Census
1871/Edward Newman/Servant/17/Great Baddow, Essex/Census
1874/James Patten/Bricklayer/../../Post Office
1878/James Patten/Bricklayer/../../Post Office
1881/James Patten/Builder & Publican/74/Danbury, Essex/Census
1881/Hannah Patten/Wife/70/Broomfield, Essex/Census
1881/Ernest Patten/Grandson/10/Sydenham, Kent/Census
1881/James Hawes/Lodger, Bricklayers Labourer/38/Great Baddow, Essex/Census
1881/Frederick Clark/Lodger, Bricklayers Labourer/17/Hatfield, Essex/Census
1881/Charles Clark/Lodger, Printers Boy/15/Great Baddow, Essex/Census
1881/Edward Webb/Lodger, Clerk in Silk Factory/19/Wixoe, Essex/Census
1882/James Patten/Bricklayer/../../Kelly's
1886/Albert Taylor/Carpenter/../../Kelly's
1890/Albert Taylor/Carpenter/../../Kelly's
1891/Albert Taylor/Publican & Carpenter/32/Broomfield, Essex/Census
1891/Emily L. Taylor/Wife/32/Romford, Essex/Census
1891/David J. Taylor/Uncle, Living on Own Means/70/West Hanningfield,
Essex/Census
1894/Albert Taylor/Carpenter/../../Kelly's
1895/Albert Taylor/Carpenter/../../Kelly's
1898/Alfred Jackson/../../../Kelly's
1899/Alfred Jackson/../../../Kelly's
1902/Thomas John Shorten/../../../Kelly's
1906/Thomas John Shorten/../../../Kelly's
1908/Thomas John Shorten/../../../Kelly's
1910/Thomas John Shorten/../../../Kelly's
1912/Thomas John Shorten/../../../Kelly's
1914/Thomas John Shorten/../../../Kelly's
1917/Thomas John Shorten/../../../Kelly's
1922/Thomas John Shorten/../../../Kelly's
1925/David Edwin Watts/../../../Kelly's
1929/David Edwin Watts/../../../Kelly's
1933/David Edwin Watts/../../../Kelly's
1937/John George Mattingley/../../../Kelly's
1940 - 1951/J G Mattingley/../../../Freehold
1943/John George Mattingley/../../../Kelly's
1959 - 1966/E Tappenden/../../../Freehold
June 1966/G W Swettenham/../../../Freehold
* Provided by the Pubs, Inns and Taverns Index for England, 1801-1900
** Provided by John Mead
*** Provided by Jeff Jones (English Heritage Research)
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